


A Change Will Do You Good

by Snacky



Series: Leave This Town and Run Forever (Roadtrip AU) [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Modern Westeros, road trip au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 08:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5409932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snacky/pseuds/Snacky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s an adventure waiting for Val, if she’s ready to take it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Change Will Do You Good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [camtastic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/camtastic/gifts).



> Written for [Game of Ships: Countdown to Wintertown](http://gameofshipschallenges.tumblr.com/). Originally posted on tumblr.

Jon Stark had become a fixture at the coffee shop, stopping by daily, sometimes even more than once. He always orders the same thing: a large coffee, no cream, but extra sugar. He liked sweet things, Val had noticed, and more than once, she's slipped him a free pastry, a bear claw or a cinnamon roll.

Not that he couldn't afford them. 

He didn't tell her his last name, that day they met, but Val knew who he was immediately. The whole of Black Castle had been delighted when the story broke: one of the Starks of Winterfell, coming to the oldest university in the North, in the entire country. Black Castle was prestigious in its own right, but to have admitted the the nephew of Eddard Stark, one of most powerful men in Westeros, from one of the oldest families, as an incoming student, was quite a coup. There'd been a press conference announcing it, and news items almost daily since the story had broke.

Truthfully, Val hadn't cared that much about Jon Stark. There was only one college career she was interested in, and that was her own. Unfortunately for her, no one else seemed to care very much about it. Val lived with Dalla and Mance, working for Mance at the coffee shop and helping Dalla with the baby, in exchange for room and board. "Room" was stretching it — Val slept on a pullout couch in the living room — but still, it was a place to stay and a job, while she saved up money to take classes.

Of course, she could only afford one this semester, but it was the best one — the photography class she'd had on the top of her list. Mance had grumbled about it, saying a business course was far more practical. Normally Val would have agreed — she was nothing if not practical — but just this once, she had let her fancy take her, and she was glad of it. 

The world seemed a different place when viewed through a camera lens. The streets of Black Castle, so familiar to her, took on an exotic, romantic air, when caught in the right light, at the right moment. And people she knew and loved became mysterious strangers, people with different lives and dreams, if she framed her shots right. Val enjoyed every minute of her class, and it was worth it, no matter what Mance thought.

Unfortunately, the semester had ended last week, and her class was over. She'd gotten an A in it, of course, but for next semester, she'd have to do something a little more practical, or she'd never hear the end of it from Mance and Dalla.

It had been a surprise when Jon Stark walked into the coffee shop on the first day of classes, lost and needing help. Val hadn't cared about him before he'd arrived in town, tired of all the talk about about yet another rich boy attending ancient and honorable Black Castle University. She'd been a bit resentful, if she was going to be honest about it. Must be nice to be a rich kid with money to burn, when she had to count every penny.

But that first day, she couldn't help but be amused when he looked around the coffee shop, a worried expression on his face, and admitted he was lost and asked for directions. He wasn't quite what she'd expected, and Val had found herself laughing and giving him all the help she could. He'd returned the next day, to thank her, and that was the beginning of their unexpected friendship.

Val had thought it might be something more than the coffee and free pastries that brought him in daily. He was handsome, and though quiet at first, he was funny and clever, and maybe Val wouldn't have minded something more. Impractical, like her photography class, but undeniably fun.

But Jon had met Ygritte the second week of classes, and the thought of something more vanished as he fell head over heels in love with her. Val and Ygritte had grown up together, were friends, and Val had been glad when Ygritte used her athleticism to her full advantage, landing herself a full scholarship to Black Castle _and_ a place on the prestigious archery team. Landing Jon Stark just seemed another thing that came so easily to Ygritte. "Kissed by fire" was an old northern saying, and Ygritte always did have luck in spades — maybe it _was_ the red hair doing it, Val mused, feeling slightly envious of the way Ygritte always seemed to get exactly what she wanted.

It was for the best, she told herself, at least for her. A relationship with Jon Stark would have been foolish and impractical, and Val had other things to worry about, than some rich boy. But she couldn't help but worry a bit over him — he'd given his heart to Ygritte so easily, and Ygritte… well, she'd given hers right back, but Val knew her friend well enough to know that Ygritte took her affections away just as easily.

And when the door to the coffee shop blew open with a bang, and brought with it a swirl of snow and a despondent looking Jon Stark, Val figured that Ygritte had done just that. She had his coffee and a warm cinnamon roll waiting by the time Jon hung up his coat and took his seat at the counter. But though he sipped the coffee eagerly, he only picked at the pastry, looking glum. And Val found herself asking, "What's wrong?"

"Ygritte…we've broken up." Jon sighed and pushed a hand back through his dark hair, damp with melting snow, and Val bit back a smile. She'd been right, of course, but it wasn't really nice to smile about it when Jon was so downcast.

"For good?" she asked, adding a little more coffee to his cup, and helping herself to a bite of his roll. Since he wasn't eating it.

He shrugged. "I guess. She left yesterday after her last final. She's going up to the Frostfangs, to work at one of the ski resorts over the winter break. With a guy from the archery team."

That sounded like something Ygritte would do — break up with the boy on a whim, and head north with another one for a new adventure. Once again, she felt a pang of envy at Ygritte's luck. But she looked at Jon, nursing his coffee and his broken heart, and the envy disappeared, replaced by a wave of sympathy.

She took his free hand and gave it a quick squeeze (hopefully he wouldn't mind her sticky fingers from the cinnamon roll icing). "I'm sorry, Jon. She'll be back, most likely." 

Jon glanced at their joined hands, and then up at her face, and his cheeks were a bit pink, whether from the cold outside or something else, Val wasn't sure. 

"Oh, she'll be back next semester, but with her new boyfriend," he said, his tone bitter, eyes dropping back to his coffee, and Val wondered if maybe she should add more sugar to his next cup, to try to sweeten him up.

"Speaking of winter break, what are you still doing here? Didn't finals end yesterday?" She hadn't let go of his hand, and Jon's was warm in her own. This was probably foolish, she told herself, and was just glad Mance wasn't here, to see her holding hands with one of the customers. 

"They did. I just finished packing my car. I'm going home for the holidays, and then coming back early, to work on a project with the Old Bear." His voice held no enthusiasm, though, and Val wasn't sure if that was because he was going home, or coming back early.

"Well, it will be nice to see your family, won't it?" Now it was her own voice that held no enthusiasm — she loved Dalla and the baby, and Mance too, but sometimes, she thought, it would be nice to take a break from family for a while. "Get away from here for a while! I bet a change will do you good."

Jon glanced up at her again, and was silent for a long moment, just studying her. Then a slow smile spread across his face, and he spoke. "Come with me?"

Val blinked at him. "I'm sorry?"

Jon's cheeks got even pinker, but his fingers tightened around hers. "Come home with me, for the holidays. I'll call and say I'm bringing a friend." Val must have looked as dubious as she felt, for he hurried on. "Don't you want to get away from here for a while? I bet a change will do _you_ good too!"

Now it was her turn to fall silent, as Jon watched her anxiously. It would be ridiculous to say yes. Sure, they were friends, but not that kind of friend. Not the kind of friends who visited each other's families over winter break. They'd never done anything before but talk and laugh over coffee.

"Think of it as an adventure!"

An adventure. It was what Val wanted. She'd never been "south of the Wall" before — not that there was much left of the Wall, and what was left had turned into a tourist attraction, but it was another old northern saying. And more than anything, Val wanted a chance to see things differently, to meet new people, and see the world beyond Black Castle. A visit to Jon's family home in Winter City wouldn't be the grand adventure she longed for, but it would be a start.

She pulled her hand out of Jon's, and watched his face change from hopeful back to downcast as she did. But Val was just pulling her hair back into a ponytail, already starting to get ready.

"When do we leave?"

And the smile that spread across Jon's face at her words made her think this maybe could be the adventure she wanted, after all.


End file.
